Kansas lands in middle of best-worst states for workplace gender equality

There is an equal ratio of women and men who earn minimum wage in Kansas. It is one the few states in which women do not make up the majority of minimum wage workers, according to a WalletHub analysis of 2014’s Best and Worst States for Women’s Equality.
According to WalletHub’s personal finance social website, many women are still struggling to crack the proverbial glass ceiling. The United States ranks 23rd on the Global Gender Gap Index, and in 2013, the U.S. failed to make the top 20 of the World Economic Forum’s list of the most gender equal countries.
To gauge the scope of gender-based disparities in the United States, WalletHub ranked each of the 50 states based on 10 key metrics. They range from the gap in the number of female and male executives to the disparity between women’s and men’s life expectancy to the imbalance of their political representation.
Kansas landed in the middle of the pack, tied with Iowa as the 32nd best state for women’s equality in the workplace. Hawaii, New York, Maryland, Maine and Nevada rounded out the top spots. Wyoming ranked last, with Utah, Idaho, Texas and Indiana rounding out the worst states for gender equality in the workplace.
• In every state, women earn less than men. Arizona has the lowest pay gap, with women earning just 13.2% less. Wyoming has the highest, with women earning 34.5% less.
• In every state, male executives outnumber female executives. Utah has the highest gap, with 73.48% more males. Alabama has the lowest, with 25.52% more males.
• Men have longer average workdays than women. North Dakota has the highest gap, with men working 19.4% longer. Nevada has the lowest, with men working 9% longer.
• Utah has the highest education gap favoring men, with 15.49% more men having a bachelor’s degree. Mississippi has the highest education gap favoring women, with 25.26% more women having a bachelor’s degree. The most balanced state is Colorado.
• In almost every state, women represent the highest percentage of minimum-wage workers. West Virginia has the highest gap, with 60% more females. Alaska, Kansas, Hawaii and Nevada have an equal ratio of women and men who earn minimum wage.
• The unemployment rate is equal for men and women in Arizona, Arkansas and California. West Virginia has the highest gap favoring women, with 2.8% more unemployed men. Georgia has the highest gap favoring men, with 1.5% more unemployed women.
• In every state, women have a higher life expectancy than men at age 65. Mississippi has the highest gap, with women living 20.25% longer. Utah has the lowest, with women living 9.52% longer.
• In every State Legislature, there are more male than female lawmakers. Louisiana has the highest gap, with 85.7% more males. Colorado has the lowest, with 30.5% more males.
For the full report and to see where your state ranks, please visit:

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